1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a television interphone apparatus provided for communication between building entrances and individual apartments of the building, along with transmission of visitor's pictures to a monitor mounted on the wall of the apartment, or to a concierge counter and/or to a concierge/service center over the internet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A television interphone monitor used for entrance monitoring and communications is mounted on a wall inside the apartment and is wired via multi-core cables for connecting to each other different elements of the system, such as a microphone and speaker wires, a coax cable for video signals, a door release wire, a calling wire and an alarm wire. Whenever a more complex system is installed such as for multi-entrances and/or concierge station systems the wiring becomes very complex and costly.
Moreover, when a complex multi-entrance system is installed and operated by several visitors from different entrances all of the visitors, except a visitor that is connected to his selected apartment, must wait until the “busy” communication line is cleared first, at which time the system connects the next visitor in line. This busy line state causes delays and other inconveniences, particularly whenever a concierge is engaged in lengthy communication with a tenant and/or a visitor through the video interphone system network.
Furthermore, some buildings employ several concierge stations, while in other buildings the concierge services are offered partially, such as only during daytime. This causes confusion and further delays as tenants keep on calling the concierge, rendering the communication line busy and loading the video interphone system constantly, denying emergencies and other needed concierge services.
Another type of television interphone monitoring system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,923,363, wherein the entrance unit comprises a matrix switching apparatus for connecting a plurality of entrance units and concierge units to multiple apartments simultaneously.
However, in the event that a concierge services are not available around the clock, or when a single concierge serving the whole building is fully occupied and busy, the need for emergency or any other services may not be timely attended, thereby rendering the services poor and inefficient.